Transplanters aren’t exactly a new agricultural technology. The first transplanter was a rice transplanter invented in 1898 by Heigoro Kawano. Transplanters for rice, vegetables, hemp, and other crops have been in widespread use since the early 19th century.
Vegetable transplanters have improved in output, efficiency, accuracy, and ease of use since then.
If you’re a novice grower or you want to expand your operations, this article will guide you through the realm of transplanters.
What are transplanters
Transplanters are agricultural machines that can be towed, driven, or self-propelled and allow the planting of seedlings from seed bins.
These automatic vegetable transplanters are tasked with opening the destination soil, placing the seedling in its proper location, and then closing the soil around it.
Benefits of having vegetable transplanters
Vegetable transplanters are beneficial for several reasons:
Automated transplanters can plant anywhere from an acre to 5 acres of vegetables per hour, depending on the specific transplanter and the type of vegetable being transplanted.
Some automated transplanting systems need only three people to operate, meaning that planter machines can save vegetable growers up to 80% in labor costs.
What crops can be transplanted
Most common vegetable crops can be transplanted.
- Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Onions
• Garlic
• Celery
• Chard
• Shallots
• Spinach
• Kale
• Leeks
• Broccoli
• Cilantro